Packing Perils

I am a lifelong over-packer.  You just never know when you are going to need more clothes, do you?  Over the course of any one week I will only wear two different pair of jeans. Exchanging one for the other after the first has become sufficiently dirty.  This takes about 3 days, although has been known to stretch to 5 wears in a bad week.

But the thought of travelling for 3 weeks with only two pairs of jeans does not feel right.  What if something gets spilt on them?  I’m travelling with 2 little girls so that is a very real possibility.  And what if every washing machine in Germany/Belgium/Amsterdam is BROKEN and I can’t wash anything for the entire trip?

And there are also all the other little things that you ‘might’ need – nail clippers, nail file, tissues, etc…  These all need to be gathered and made room for.

I am TRYING to travel lightly.  *snort*  This means two smallish soft bags. (And I use ‘smallish’ in comparison to my other MASSIVE large soft bag, which is rouoghly the size of a coffin.)  But, here’s the killer, I”m travelling with kids so not only do we have the two checked pieces of luggage we have one stroller, 2 carry-on bags, and two children’s car booster seats.  German laws require kids to be in a booster seat until the age of 12, so even though we will only be in a car on the way from and then back to, the airport I have to lug them.